Salzburg

BY PETER MARCK

The moment of truth has arrived: the Salzburg Festival – the Olympics of music, where the greatest orchestras, soloists and conductors come together. It all takes place in the city where Mozart himself used to run around, Salzburg. Even Zubin is nervous and that means more rehearsals; 3 hours the evening we arrive, 2 hours the next morning, then an acoustic rehearsal an hour before the concert.Maestro Mehta brought one of the most difficult programs to the festival, Schoenberg’s “Verklerte Nacht” and the Chamber Symphony for 15 solo players, followed by Tchaikovsky’s “Pathetique.” The audience was ecstatic after the Tchaikovsky and Zubin returned to the stage 5 times before the encore!Salzburg is beautiful as ever and the thirty-five minute walk from the hotel to the Festspielhaus was worth it for the gorgeous views of the city and the surrounding mountains. On the way back to the hotel, you can’t resist a quick stop for a hot wurst and cold beer from a street vendor. Between the morning rehearsal and the evening concert, I even rented a bike for two hours and rode along the Salzach River to the next town for a quick lunch.